


Heroes in Therapy

by starsandbrokenhalos



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Heroes in Crisis (DCU Comics)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Cassandra Cain is Black Bat, Don't copy to another site, Ficlet Collection, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Screenplay/Script Format, Stephanie Brown is Batgirl, Therapy, more like comic script style, well sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-22 04:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19660018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandbrokenhalos/pseuds/starsandbrokenhalos
Summary: Over on Tumblr,Teecame up with a Heroes in Therapy tag/prompt in an effort to rewrite Heroes in Crisis. This is a collection of ficlets based off of that I have written. A couple of things to know about how I am organizing this: 1) each chapter is a different character and will be named accordingly. 2) content warnings will be at the beginning of chapters if applicable.





	1. Nightwing

**Author's Note:**

> I will warn that there is a mention of the events that transpired with Tarantula. Nothing graphic or explicitly stated, just a line with heavy implications at the very end so I put it under a read more to be on the safe side.

_NIGHTWING is sitting, staring at the camera and biting his lower lip. He takes a deep breath before a small smile slowly spreads across his face. It isn’t genuine but to the untrained eye it is convincing enough._

NW: I’ve been a performer, a showman, since I could walk. I guess it is why I rarely let other’s see how I truly feel. Well, that and someone has to be the strong, stable one in this family.

 _The smile on NIGHTWING’S face vanishes, leaving him looking tired. He looks to the left, clenching his jaw._

NW: After all we’ve all lost someone and seen terrible things.

_NIGHTWING shakes his head. An emotionless chuckle escapes his lips. He refocuses his attention on the camera._

NW: This is supposed to be about me and here I am trying to make it about everyone else. 

NW: I should take advantage of this.

_Tears well up in NIGHTWING’S eyes. He squares his shoulders and takes a deep breath, never breaking eye contact with the camera._

NW: I’ve never told anyone this before but I’m still angry more often than I care to admit. About my parents, about Tarantula-

_NIGHTWING’s voice breaks. There is a moment of silence in which a tear rolls down his cheek. He wraps his arms around himself and looks down at the floor._

NW: Sometimes I still feel her crawling all over me-

_NIGHTWING begins to cry as he pulls his knees to his chest. He has no desire to speak anymore._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Comics Tumblr](https://bamboozledjasontodd.tumblr.com/)   
>  [Main Tumblr](https://spellboundtothestars.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Hope you are all well! Thanks for reading, leaving comments and kudos! - Logan


	2. Red Hood

_RED HOOD is looking off to the right. His expression is hard to read due to his hood being up, the domino mask and a face guard that covers the lower portion of his face. He slowly turns to the camera, tilting his head ever so slightly to the right._

RH: Before anyone asks, I’m wondering why I’m here too.

RH: It’s not like what I say, let alone feel, matters to most people anyways.

_RED HOOD shifts nervously in his seat before straightening up. He seems to laugh silently as he crosses his arms._

RH: All that’s ever mattered is what I do; especially the so-called bad things.

RH: But that’s a tired subject and there are at least a dozen other things I should focus on.

_His hands reach up to lower the hood he is wearing. Messy black hair with white highlights in the front is revealed. RED HOOD narrows his eyes, he sees green for half a second, an undeniable sign that he is not only angry, but defensive as well. He scoffs as the green fades away._

RH: The truth is, I just don’t want to. 

_He stares at the camera for a while in silence._

RH: Fine. There is one thing.

_RED HOOD stands up, his face is no longer visible on camera._

RH: But that’s none of your damn business.

_RED HOOD leaves. The camera is now focused on the wall that was behind him._


	3. Red Robin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mentions of self harm scars and discussion of depression

_RED ROBIN is fidgeting as he looks down at the ground. He switches from playing with his utility belt to his fingers. He sighs as he finally looks up at the camera to reveal tears in his eyes. He is struggling to keep them from falling down his face._

RR: Most days all I feel is a dull ache throughout my body and I wonder if that is my emotions letting me know they’re still there.

_He wipes his right eye as a tear starts to escape. RED ROBIN looks down again, his hair flops forward to cover more of his face and he runs his right hand through it._

RR: The worst part of it all, is I’m not sure if this lack of emotion is just the depression or if it stems from the heroics. 

RR: It’s probably somehow both.

_RED ROBIN looks up. He runs his left hand through his hair yet again. What appear to be old self harm scars can be seen briefly on his arm before he quickly covers it with his other hand and moves it out of sight. He bites his lip as a few more tears are shed._

RR: I don’t really understand it, err, the depression, but there is one thing I do know about it.

_RED ROBIN pauses and takes a deep breath._

RR: It is not my fault.

_RED ROBIN is silent for a moment as he thinks. He stares down at his left arm for a moment before making direct eye contact with the camera. A smile spreads across his face; it is genuine but there is still pain hidden in his expression and a few tears in his eyes._

RR: I just realized I know something else.

RR: I wouldn’t have made it this far if it weren’t for the people who care about me.


	4. Robin

_ROBIN has a scowl on his face as he sits with his arms crossed across his chest. The sound of him kicking his foot back and forth on the floor in a melodic fashion can be heard. His eyes are fixated to the left of the camera as if he is looking at something or someone. He slowly focuses on the camera._

R: Grayson told me I am supposed to be honest about my thoughts and feelings while I am in session.

R: The problem is, that is not my area of specialty.

_He scoffs. ROBIN stops kicking his foot, in favor of crossing his leg and straightening his posture._

R: Grandfather tried to have emotions trained out of me at an early age.

R: Yet it did not work.

_ROBIN looks away. He pulls his arms closer to him._

R: I do not know what he, or anyone else expected, I was just a child.

_A tear slides down his cheek. ROBIN lifts his hood up in order to obscure the expression on his face. He is still looking away._

R: The things I did to win their love –

_ROBIN takes a deep breath. He pulls the hood further over his eyes as he stands._

R: I was, no, I am a child.

_ROBIN walks away, a sniffle can be heard off camera followed by the sound of a door opening._


	5. Oracle

_ORACLE is looking down as she cleans her glasses on her shirt. She slides the glasses back on and adjusts them. ORACLE then proceeds to fix her posture before finally looking at the camera._

O: I’m sure everyone expects me to talk about The Joker and how he ruined my life.

_ORACLE rolls her eyes and chuckles emotionlessly. Her face expression becomes more serious as she straightens her posture and squares her shoulders._

O: The truth is, all I have to say about him is that he took nothing from me. 

O: Everything I was, am, and will be is due to my talents and hard work.

_She lets her words hang in the air for a couple minutes. As she does ORACLE begins to look tired. She sighs._

O: I’m not sure what to talk about now. 

_ORACLE glances down to check the time on her watch._

O: I could talk about my brother.

O: But that would take too long. 

_ORACLE turns her wheelchair in preparation to leave the room. She looks at the camera one more time and nods._

O: Next time.


	6. Black Bat

_BLACK BAT sits in front of the camera. Her face is covered by a full mask that looks as if the mouthpiece has been stitched on. Her expression cannot be read. She points to the yellow bat symbol on her chest._

BB: This means many things.

BB: I do not take any of that lightly.

_She lowers her hand. BLACK BAT stares at the camera._

BB: I do not kill but I do not lose either.

_BLACK BAT’s body language suggests she is proud of this statement._

BB: I have even been called perfect.

_BLACK BAT looks down ever so slightly and her shoulders sag._

BB: But I am not. 

BB: The nightmares remind me of what I did.

BB: Of what Cain made me do.

_BLACK BAT points to the Bat Symbol again._

BB: Thankfully, I have a second chance and a father who sees me as a person rather than a weapon.


	7. Batgirl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is discussion of teen pregnancy and giving a child up for adoption in this chapter.

_BATGIRL is playing with the ends of her blonde hair nervously as she looks at the floor. She looks up, sadness in her eyes and a slight frown on her face._

BG: I try not to think about her. My daughter that is.

BG: I thought it would be easier that way. 

_A few tears roll down her cheeks. BATGIRL stops playing with her hair and wipes her eyes. She places her hands on her stomach and looks down at them._

BG: I wouldn’t have been a good mother.

BG: Not from lack of trying but because I was too young and unable to provide. 

_BATGIRL lets her tears flow freely. She takes a couple of deep breaths to help her focus on what she wants to say._

BG: I know I made the right choice, but it doesn’t make it any less difficult. Even after all this time. 

_She lets out a sob as she wraps her arms around her. BATGIRL spends the next few moments crying. The only noise that can be heard is her sobs and ragged breathing. When the worst of it is over she wipes her eyes. BATGIRL looks back up at the camera, tears still flowing freely from her eyes._

BG: I want her to be cared for, safe, and happy.

_BATGIRL takes a deep breath._

BG: I want her to know I love her.

_BATGIRL curls in on herself and begins to sob again._


	8. Signal

_SIGNAL takes off his helmet and sets it on the ground beside him, so it is no longer in view. He takes a calming breath and stares at the camera._

S: I have a lot to get off my chest.

S: And I’m not sure if I’m ready to talk about all of it but I want to try.

_SIGNAL looks down. His eyes seem to be tracing the outline of his feet._

S: I know one of the risks of doing what I do is death.

S: I’ve heard about it and, well, I’ve seen it.

_He is silent for a moment as he reflects on what he said and what he is going to say next. SIGNAL looks up, returning his attention to the camera, and bites his lower lip._

S: It’s stuck with me.

_SIGNAL sighs._

S: Whenever the rest of the Bat Boys joke about their deaths, I can’t help but wonder if I’m going to die too.

_SIGNAL reaches for his helmet and sets it on his lap, clearly deciding against putting it back on._

S: I’ve accepted my mortality and I’ve been ready to die before but I’d be lying if I said that I am always okay with the possibility.

_SIGNAL turns away from the camera just as a tear rolls down his left cheek._

S: Then there are my parents…

S: They don’t do what I do and look what they had to go through. I don’t want to put them through something like that as well.

_SIGNAL becomes choked up and spends the rest of his session looking away from the camera and crying a bit._


	9. Alfred Pennyworth

_An older, well-dressed man takes a seat in front of the camera. He is only identified as AP. He dusts off the overcoat he is wearing and looks directly at the camera. AP clears his throat._

AP: I have spent over a decade worrying about what all of the children get up to in the middle of the night.

AP: I have wept when they were in pain and mourned when they died or were thought to have.

_AP reaches into his pocket to produce a white handkerchief with intricate detailing sewn around the edges. He dabs at his eyes before placing his hands in his lap, still clutching the handkerchief firmly._

AP: Most days I am able to cope through sarcasm and what the children refer to as sass. 

AP: But there are days, such as this one, where I require a bit more.

_The man sighs. AP begins to absentmindedly twist the handkerchief in his hands._

AP: You see, I have been thinking recently about how they always come back eventually.

AP: Even Master Jason managed to.

_He pauses as his eyes fill with tears. AP looks down at the handkerchief but refrains from using it._

AP: But I fear that one day, I may get ahead of myself and believe that a death is temporary when it is the one time it is not. 

AP: And I feel awful for thinking such things.

_AP places a hand on his heart and bows his head. It is unclear as to whether or not he is crying._


	10. Batwoman

_BATWOMAN is sitting in front of the camera. Her posture is reflective of her military training. She eyes the camera suspiciously for a moment before nodding. Her hands are folded, resting in her lap._

BW: All things considered I am happy with how my life has turned out.

BW: Rather, how things are now.

_She begins to fidget by playing with her gloves and fingers. BATWOMAN never breaks eye contact with the camera._

BW: I am making a difference, I have found the love of my life, and I am able to be myself.

_BATWOMAN smiles a bit before taking a few deep breaths. The smile is genuine, but it does not last long. It is replaced by a neutral expression._

BW: My father tells me they would be proud –

BW: Mom and Beth that is.

_She falls silent for a couple moments. BATWOMAN is clearly replaying a bad memory in her head. When it is over with, she shakes her head as if it will clear her mind._

BW: I know they would be.

_BATWOMAN’s smile returns as she wipes a tear from her eye. She nods at the camera again before standing and walking out of the room._


	11. Hawkfire

_HAWKFIRE walks in. She sits down and brings one leg up, wrapping her arms around her knee. She sighs._

HF: I’m not sure what to talk about.

HF: I wonder how many times you’ve heard that today.

_HAWKFIRE chuckles emotionlessly._

HF: I don’t have a tragic back story or any great losses like everyone else. 

HF: I just want to help people. 

_She looks down at the floor. HAWKFIRE’s expression shifts from one of neutrality to one of insecurity. She is visibly upset._

HF: For awhile there it seemed like no one else wanted me to.

HF: I thought it was bullshit. I still do. 

HF: Hence why I am on identity number three.

_HAWKFIRE puts her leg down and fixes her posture._

HF: But I made it. I’m doing what I’ve always wanted.

HF: I’m even applying to med school.

_HAWKFIRE’s eyes start to fill up with tears._

HF: But I can’t help but feel like everyone still isn’t taking me seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The med school part was inspired by [this post.](https://flamebiirds.tumblr.com/post/186070853329/so-like-bette-kane-has-shown-an-interest-in)


	12. Raven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Written for tumblr users dyketectivecomics, robrae-headquarters and an anon!  
> *Skye Harper was a member of Night Force alongside Raven

_RAVEN is sitting with her arms concealed in her cloak. The hood of her cloak is up, casting shadows over her face and obscuring the top half almost completely. She takes a deep breath to center herself._

R: It seems counterintuitive for me to be here.

R: After all, since childhood I have been taught not to feel too strongly.

_She lowers her hood slowly. RAVEN’s violet eyes are locked on the camera and her expression is difficult to read._

R: But there are things I wish to talk about.

_RAVEN takes her arms out from under her cloak. She folds her hands and places them on her lap._

R: I have lost many friends but because of my abilities, I am not sure if I ever properly grieved them.

R: I felt everyone else’s pain though. Every time. 

_She looks down. RAVEN sits in silence for a moment as if she is meditating. When she is done, she looks back up, tears in her eyes._

R: And I felt their joy when Donna came back. 

R: But others… Tara, Skye…they weren’t so lucky.

_A few tears spill out from RAVEN’s eyes. Her breath hitches as she goes to take a calming breath._

R: I think these may be the first tears I have shed on my own for them.

R: I hope…I hope they understand.

_RAVEN lets the tears fall freely. She pulls the cloak back around her and hugs herself._


End file.
